Materials testing systems, such as compact tension testing systems and tensile strength testing systems, have included devices to make various measurements related to materials under examination during a testing process. For example, a compact tension testing system can include a load measurement device to measure an amount of force (stress) exerted on a material specimen and a distance measurement device to measure the displacement (strain) of the material specimen as the load is applied to the specimen. To ensure the accuracy of measurements, such devices have been calibrated on a period basis (e.g., annually) by a technician against a verified sample with the assumption that the calibration of these devices will not drift more than an acceptable amount between calibrations.